Locking knob for hospital,industrial and institutional cabinets



July 15, 1969 c. v. SP-ON ETAL 3,455,126

LOCKING KNOB FOR HOSPITAL, INDUSTRIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CABINETS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 42 CARROLL v. SPON 45 DONALD J. KOLENDA July 15, 1969 c. v. SPON ET AL 3,455,126

LOCKING KNOB FOR HOSPTTAL, INDUSTRTAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CABINETS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 2 heets-Sheet 2 /e/o, r58 F/G.

T INVENTORS I g CARROLL v. SPON DONALD J. KOLENDA States U.S. Cl. 70216 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A locking knob for use on cabinets having an escutcheon secured to the cabinet door and receiving a shank insert for limited rotation therein, and the locking knob is secured to the shank insert and contains a key-actuated tumbler lock which has a rotatable plug operatively connected to a locking bolt reciprocable in the shank insert to lock the insert in the escutcheon. The plug is provided with one or more pins at its inner end extending into an inclined slot in the bolt having a drive lug therein, and the shank insert extends through the escutcheon and the cabinet door and is secured to suitable latching means for the door.

The present invention relates to a locking knob adapted for use on cabinets or lockers in hospitals, industry and other institutions, and more particularly to a locking knob having a rotary tumbler lock therein with the knob adapted to rotate a shank actuating a suitable latch means.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a locking knob mounted on an escutcheon for the door or closure of a cabinet or other enclosure and connected to suitable latching means on the interior of the door or closure to secure the cabinet against any unauthorized entry or access. The locking knob includes a cylinder tumbler lock therein actuated by a suitable key and rotation of the lock plug actuates a lock bolt cooperating with the escutcheon to normally prevent relative rotation between the knob and the escutcheon.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a locking knob mounted for rotation in an escutcheon and including a spring-biased lock bolt normally biased to a locked position for the knob. The escutcheon includes a locking recess receiving the end of the bolt in locked position and a second recess 90 removed from the locking recess and adapted to receive the bolt when the knob has been rotated 90 to unlatch the door. The tumbler plug includes an oifset pin at its inner end which engages in a slotted portion of the lock bolt to reciprocate the bolt between locked and unlocked positions.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a locking knob and escutcheon where the escutcheon has a central recess adapted to receive one of a variety of shank inserts therein, which insert extends through the rear of the escutcheon and is adapted to receive a spindle or other member adapted to secure the latching means to the locking knob for rotation therewith.

The present invention also comprehends the provision of a locking knob and escutcheon having a spring-biased lock bolt with an inclined slot therein receiving the offset pin on the rear end of the tumbler lock plug. The slot extends across the lock bolt and includes an inclined drive lug projection that extends approximately halfway across the bolt. To actuate the bolt to either locked or unlocked position, the key and tumbler lock plug must be rotated 360 to reciprocate the bolt with the plug pin cooperating with the drive lug projection in the slot in the bolt to actuate the bolt to one of its two positions.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maxiatent O Ice mum simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the locking knob and escutcheon connected to one embodiment of latch means for a cabinet door.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the locking knob and escutcheon of FIG. 1 and showing the latch means having upper and lower vertically reciprocable bolts.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the latch means of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the locking knob and escutcheon taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the locking recesses in the escutcheon with the lock bolt and shank insert omitted.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the tumbler lock plug utilized in the locking handle and showing the position of the drive pin.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the lock plug of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the shank insert located within the escutcheon.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the shank insert of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the lock bolt showing the inclined drive lug projection.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the lock bolt taken from the right side of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the locking knob and escutcheon having a second embodiment of shank insert and latch.

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the shank insert of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the locking knob and escutcheon having a third embodiment of shank insert therein.

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the shank insert utilized in the third embodiment of locking knob of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the locking knob and escutcheon with another embodiment of latch on the spindle.

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary or partial side elevational view of the locking knob and escutcheon having another embodiment of spindle.

FIG. 18 is a rear elevational view of a modified locking knob receiving a plate tumbler lock plug.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the plate tumbler plug of FIG. 18 showing a pair of drive pins thereon.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing wherein is shown illustrative embodiments of the present invention, FIGS. 1 to 11 disclose a first embodiment of the locking knob and escutcheon assembly 10 for a door 11 of a cabinet or other enclosure, which assembly includes a locking knob 12 and an escutcheon 13 rotatable relative to each other. The lock knob 12 is formed with oppositely extending ends or arms 14 providing a hand gripping portion and a central hollow hub or shaft 15 having an irregular contour to receive a looking cylinder 16 suitably secured therein.

The locking knob is provided with a passage 17 therethrough receiving a lock plug 18 having an exposed face at the front of the locking knob 12 and extending through the cylinder 16 and held in the cylinder by a plug retainer clip 19 in the annular groove 20 of the plug. Both the plug 18 and cylinder 16 have transverse passages 21 adapted to be aligned to receive tumblers 22 in the plug, drivers 23 in the cylinder and tumbler springs 24 biasing the tumblers and drivers to their locked position. If a master key is to be utilized, then master drivers can also be utilized. The plug also has a longitudinally extending keyway 25 to receive a suitable key 26, and at the rear end of the plug is a horizontally offset drive pin 27 extending rearwardly from the plug into the escutcheon 13.

The escutcheon 13 has a generally cylindrical exposed collar portion 28 which has a slight rearwardly extending taper and a reduced rearwardly extending externally threaded portion 29 of a smaller diameter than the portion 28 and adapted to extend rearwardly through a complementary opening in the door 11. The threaded portion 29 has one or more flattened sides 31 correspond ing to straight edges in the door opening to prevent rotation of the escutcheon relative to the door. A nut 32 threadingly engages the portion 29 to securely retain the escutcheon on the door.

The generally cylindrical portion 28 has a central opening 33 which is stepped to form a stepped passage 34 of smaller diameter extending through the remainder or rear of portion 28 and the threaded portion 29 to terminate in a radially inwardly extending limiting flange 35. As more clearly seen in FIG. 5, the stepped portion in the escutcheon has a downwardly extending recess 36 and a second recess 37 removed 90 in a counter clockwise direction. The stepped portion has an additional recess 38 covering an are greater than 90 at the upper left-hand region in the escutcheon. These recesses 36 and 37 are utilized for a lock bolt to be later described and the recess 38 limits rotation of the handle described later.

The escutcheon is adapted to receive a shank insert 39 therein having a body portion 41 with a rear end 42 of reduced diameter received in the opening defined by the flange 35 of the escutcheon and terminating in a square or polygonal projection 43 having a central tapped opening 44. The forward end is provided with an enlarged stepped portion 45 received in the passage 33 and having a pair of outwardly extending ears 46 having openings 47 therein which are aligned with tapped openings in the rear surface of the knob to receive suitable securing means to fasten the knob and shank insert together to rotate as a unit. The enlarged portion 45 also has a rearwardly and outwardly extending ear 48 adapted to be received in the arcuate recess 38 in the escutcheon. Furthermore, the insert 39 has a transverse slot or recess 49 extending from one side to terminate in a reaction surface 51 for a lock bolt.

As seen in FIG. 4, a generally rectangular lock bolt 52 is received in the slot 49 in the shank insert 39 (FIG. The front surface 53 of the lock bolt has a large inclined slot 54 extending from the lower right-hand portion of the bolt to the upper left-hand portion. Intermediate the sides of the slot is formed an inclined drive lug or projection 55 extending upwardly from the right-hand edge of the bolt to terminate in a curved camming surface 56 at approximately the center of the bolt. The lower portion 57 of the bolt defining the slot 54 has an angular surface 57 sloping downwardly away from the slot. The depth of the slot is approximately one-half the thickness of the bolt. At the rear surface of the bolt 52 is a recess 58 opening at the upper end and the rear surface of the bolt to receive a compression spring 59 with one end of the spring abutting the lower end of the recess 58 and the opposite end of the spring abutting the reaction surface 51 in the shank insert 39. The spring biases the bolt 52 downward as seen in FIG. 4 to enter either the recess 36 or 37 in the escutcheon.

At the rear of the escutcheon is a latch means including a rear plate 61 and a front plate 62 with the plates abutting at the center and spaced at their outer ends 63 to receive the inner ends of a pair of vertically reciprocable latch bolts 64 such as utilized in a locker door. The rear plate 61 has a square or polygonal recess conformab y receiving the square or p ysena end o p j c o 4 43 of the shank insert 39. The plates 61, 62 have openings for a screw 65 to engage threaded opening 44 to secure the plates to the insert 39 to rotate therewith. One or both plates 61 and 62 also have a lateral cam arm 66 to latch the door along the vertical edge of its enclosure.

When the locking knob and escutcheon assembly 10 is mounted on the door and the latch means is in locked position, the lock bolt 52 is in its lower position with the lower end of the bolt projecting into the recess 36 in the escutcheon and the drive pin 27 is positioned in the inclined slot 54 above the drive lug projection 55. Also, the ear 48 is located in the arcuate recess 38; the recess 38 limiting the arc of movement of the shank insert 39 and attached locking knob 12. A suitable key 26 is inserted into the keyway 25 of plug 18 and the plug is rotated 360 counterclockwise in the cylinder 16 to retract the lock bolt. Rotation of the plug causes arcuate movement of the drive pin 27 upward and to the left as seen in FIG. 10 in the slot 54 around the curved camming surface 56 of the drive lug projection 55 to engage the lower surface of the drive lug projection and move the bolt 52 upwardly out of recess 36 against the spring 59 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Then the knob can be rotated approximately 90 counterclockwise to withdraw the latch bolt and cam arm 66 so that the door or closure may be opened.

With the locking knob in rotated unlatched position, the key may be rotated 360 clockwise to advance the bolt 52 into the recess 37 to retain the locking knob in unlatched position, if desired. To lock the door, the procedure is reversed with the locking knob being rotated 90 clockwise when the door is closed to advance the latch means. Then the key is rotated 360 clockwise so that the drive pin moves around the curved camming surface 56 and engages and urges the drive lug projection 55 downward to advance the bolt into recess 36 in the escutcheon.

FIGS. 12 and 13 disclose a second embodiment of a locking knob and escutcheon assembly 10 substantially similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 11 except for a shank insert 67 having a larger square or polygonal rear projection 68 with a tapped central opening 69, and a swing latch bolt 71 and retaining means therefor. The swing bolt 71 has an outer camming surface 72 to em gage a flange or strike on the edge of the cabinet or enclosure, and at the opposite end the bolt has a square or polygonal opening 73 complementally receiving the rear projection 68 on the shank insert 67. The retaining means includes a rear plate 74 and a front plate 75, the plates being spaced and parallel except for the depressed central portion 76 of the front plate which abuts the rear plate. Pins or rivets 77 separate the plates adjacent their outer ends, and a screw 78 extends through central openings 79 in the plates 74, 75 to engage the tapped opening 69. This embodiment operates in the same manner as previously described.

FIGS. 14 and 15 disclose a third embodiment of a locking knob and escutcheon assembly 10 where the locking knob 12 and escutcheon 13 are identical to those of the first embodiment; however, the shank insert 81 is different in having a rearwardly extending stepped cylindrical projection 82 having a square or polygonal central opening 83 therein. The forward portion of the shank insert 81 receiving the lock bolt is identical to the shank insert 39. The shank insert 81 is adaptable for actuation of a number of latching means depending on the spindle inserted therein.

FIG. 14 discloses a square or polygonal spindle 84 having a tapped opening 85 in the rear end thereof. The smaller diameter cylindrical portion 86 of the stepped projection 82 has a transverse opening 87 therethrough aligned with a transverse opening in the spindle to receive a spindle retaining pin 88. The spindle 84 rotates with the shank insert 81 and knob 12*. The square or polygonal spindle 84 is provided of a proper length to be received in the conforming or square opening or recess in the plate 61 of the latch means of FIGS. 1 to 11 or in the square opening 73 of the swing bolt 71 of FIGS. 12 and 13.

In FIG. 16, the square or polygonal spindle 84 is utilized with another embodiment of swing latch bolt 89 having a camming surface 91 at its outer end, and the inner end has a U-shaped portion with the two arms 92 of the U having square or polygonal openings to receive the spindle 84. The base 93 of the U has a threaded opening adapted to receive a screw 94 which is tightened with the inner end abutting one of the flat surfaces of the spindle 84 to secure the latch bolt in its adjusted position on the spindle.

FIG. 17 discloses another embodiment of spindle 95 which may be square or polygonal in cross section or square at its inner end received in the shank insert 81 and cylindrical at its outer end. Adjacent the outer end of the spindle 95, a second transverse opening 96 is provided to receive a spiral spindle pin (not shown) which may cooperate with a suitable camming strike.

FIG. 18 discloses a locking knob 12' which is modified by the addition of a lower groove 97 for cooperation with a plate-type tumbler plug 98 utilized in the knob. Otherwise, the knob is identical to the knob 12 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 having the passage 17 receiving the plug 98 and the recesses 99 to receive the ears 46 on the shank insert 39 or the other embodiments of inserts, the recesses 99 each having a tapped opening 101 aligned with an opening 47 in the ear 46 for suitable securing means.

The plate-type tumbler plug includes a plurality of plate tumblers 102 (FIG. 18) received in slots 103 (FIG. 19) extending through the plug. The plate tumblers 102 are resiliently biased to project beyond the plug 98 into the groove 97 or the opposite groove 104, utilized for the pin tumbler housing of the locking cylinder 16, when the proper key is not present in the keyway of the plug. Extending from the rear end of the plug 98 are a pair of spaced drive pins 105, 105 which are received in the inclined slot 54 of the lock bolt 52.

When the locking knob 12' and escutcheon assembly are mounted on the door and the associated latch means is in locked position, the lock bolt 52 is in its lower position with the lower end of the bolt projecting into the recess 36 in an escutcheon and the drive pin 105, 105' horizontally arranged with drive pin 105 above the drive lug projection 55. Upon insertion of a proper key into the plug 98, the plate tumblers 102 will be withdrawn into the plug. Rotation of the key and plug will initially cause arcuate movement of drive pin 105 from a position to the left of the drive lug projection as seen in FIG. downwardly under the drive lug projection 55 and upwardly to move the lock bolt to its retracted position. In view of the two drive pins 105, 105', a spring is not required to urge the lock bolt to its extended position. Simultaneousiy with movement of the drive pin 105', the drive pin 105 moves in an arcuate path from above the drive lug projection 55 around the curved surface 56 to a position adjacent the sloping surface 57 of the lock bolt.

With the surface 57 limiting the arcuate movement of the drive pin 105, the plate tumbler plug 98 is limited to a rotation of 180 for advancement or retraction of the lock bolt 52. When the bolt 52 is retracted, the knob 12' and shank insert can rotate 90 within the escutcheon as limited by the car 48 in the arcuate recess 38. To advance the bolt 52 into either recess 36 or 37, the rotation of the key and plug is reversed with the drive pins 105, 105' retracing their arcuate paths so that the drive pin 105 is moved over the drive lug projection 55 and downward to engage the projection and move the lock bolt downward into the recess 36 or 37.

Although the escutcheon is shown with the recesses 36, 37 and 38 positioned for counterclockwise rotation of the locking knob 12 to unlatch the door, the recesses 37 and 38 could be reversed in position to provide unlatching by clockwise rotation of the locking knob 12.

Having thus disclosed our invention, we claim:

1. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly for a door of an enclosure, comprising a locking knob, a tumbler lock in said knob having a rotatable plug therein, said plug having at least one rearwardly extending drive pin offset from the axis of rotation of said plug, an escutcheon abutting the knob and having a rearwardly extending portion projecting through a door with the escutcheon secured thereto, said escutcheon having a stepped passage extending therethrough a shank insert comformably received in said stepped passage and secured to said knob, said shank insert having a transverse slot extending partially therethrough at the forward end thereof, a reciprocable lock bolt received in said slot and cooperating with said escutcheon to prevent relative rotation between the locking knob and the escutcheon, said lock bolt having an inclined generally transverse slot therein facing said plug with inclined upper and lower walls, an inclined drive plug positioned in said inclined slot intermediate said upper and lower walls, said drive lug extending approximately one-half the width of the lock bolt and terminating in a curved camming surface, said drive pin on said plug extending into said inclined slot and cooperating with said drive lug and moving around the curved camming surface of the drive lug to reciprocate the lock bolt, and means on said shank insert extending rearwardly of the escutcheon adapted to actuate suitable latching means for the door.

2. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said stepped passage of th escutcheon includes a recess adapted to complementally receive the end of the lock bolt when aligned with the slot in said shank insert.

3. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said stepped passage of the escutcheon includes an arcuate recess and said shank insert has a projection thereon received in the arcuate recess to limit the arc of rotation of the shank insert and locking knob relative to the escutcheon.

4. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly for a door of an enclosure, comprising a locking knob, a tumbler lock in said locking knob having a rotatable plug therein, said plug having at least one rearwardly extending drive pin offset from the axis of rotation of said plug, an escutcheon abutting the knob and having a rearwardly extending portion projecting through a door with the escutcheon secured to the door, said escutcheon having a stepped passage extending therethrough, a shank insert received in said stepped passage and having a pair of outwardly extending ears at its forward end, each ear having an opening therein, said locking knob having a pair of recesses at the rear face thereof complementally receiving said ears, each recess having a tapped opening aligned with the opening in one of the ears, a pair of threaded fasteners extending through said ears and threadingly engaging the tapped openings in the locking knob, said shank insert having a transverse slot extending partially through the insert at the forward end thereof, a reciprocable lock bolt received in said slot and cooperating with said escutcheon to prevent relative rotation between the locking knob and the escutcheon, and means on said shank insert extending rearwardly of the escutcheon adapted to actuate suitable latching means for the door, rotation of said tumbler lock actuating said lock bolt.

5. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which said lock bolt has a longitudinally extending recess open at one end in the rear face thereof and said shank insert has a reaction surface aligned with the open end of the recess, and a compression spring received in said recess and abutting the reaction surface to yieldably bias the lock bolt to its locked position.

6. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which said shank insert is complementally stepped in relation to said stepped escutcheon so as to rotate therein relative to the escutcheon.

7. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 6, in which said shank insert terminates in a sub stantially polygonal projection extending beyond the rear end of the escutcheon to be received in a complementary opening in a latch means so that said shank insert and latch means rotate simultaneously, and retaining means retaining the latch means on the projection.

8. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly for a door of an enclosure comprising a locking knob, 21 tumbler lock in said locking knob having a rotatable plug therein, said plug having at least one rearwardly extending drive pin offset from the axis of rotation of said plug, an escutcheon abutting the knob and having a rearwardly extending portion projecting through a door with the escutcheon secured to the door, said escutcheon having a stepped passage extending therethrough, a shank insert received in said stepped passage and secured to said locking knob, said shank insert being complementally stepped in relation to said stepped escutcheon so as to rotate therein relative to the escutcheon and having a transverse slot extending partially through the insert at the forward end thereof, a reciprocable lock bolt received in said slot and cooperating with said escutcheon to prevent relative rotation between the locking knob and the escutcheon, rotation of said tumbler lock actuating said lock bolt, suitable latching means for the door, said shank insert terminating in a cylindrical projection extending beyond the escutcheon and having a central polygonal opening therein opening at the rear of the projection, a spindle having at least one end polygonal in cross section to be received in the opening in the projection, and means securing the spindle in the opening, said spindle receiving the latch means thereon for rotation with said locking knob.

9. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 8, in which said securing means includes a retaining pin, said projection and spindle having aligned transverse passages therein receiving said pin.

10, A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 8, in which said plug has a single drive pin offset from the axis of rotation of said plug, and said lock bolt has an inclined generally transverse slot facing the plug to receive the drive pin.

11. A locking knob and escutcheon assembly as set forth in claim 8, in which said plug has a pair of spaced drive pins, each pin being ofliset from the axis of rotation of said plug, and said lock bolt having an inclined generally transverse slot therein facing said plug to receive said drive pins, an inclined drive lug projection in said slot, said bolt having a lower portion defining the slot, said lower portion having a surface sloping downward away from the slot, said sloping surface cooperating with said drive pins to limit rotation of said plug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,149 12/1927 Teich 70216 1,668,958 5/1928 Goodman 70216 1,909,393 5/19 3 Diesel 70-216 X 1,920,848 8/1933 Diehl 70216 1,930,975 10/1933 Jacobi 702l6 X 2,275,362 3/1942 Golden 70380 X 2,697,342 12/1954 McConnell 70216 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner EDWARD J. McCARTHY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

